If there's one thing being a writer teaches you, it's that you don't get anywhere without knowing how to talk to your audience.
That's a life lesson that comes into play for all walks of life, as you have probably experienced in your career in real estate, too. All it takes to blow a sale is a poorly chosen joke or sometimes, even a mispronounced name.
It's all about knowing what your audience wants to see and hear.
Recently, we talked about how millennials are quickly becoming the biggest demographic in the market for home buying. Before this conjures images of selfies and Starbucks in your mind's eye (don't worry, it's what I think of too, and I am a millennial!), let's have a look at this age group and what matters to its members.
What's a millennial?
Technically speaking, millennials are considered by most researchers to be people born between 1981 and 1996.
That means that these kids, the true ‘80s and '90s kids, are now anywhere from 22 to 37 years old. They make up a good chunk of the modern workforce. And they're looking to do things like build careers, buy homes, and start families, if they haven't already.
Some stereotypes do stand up, and this age group has grown up with expanding technology, the Internet, and the odd Tamagotchi. They use their cell phones and laptops for everything they possibly can, including the vast majority of their consumer activities—from buying toilet paper and ordering takeout to picking out their next home.
They want to see companies on social media. They want to be able to interact with you. They want a personal experience, without it necessarily happening in person.
And that can be a tricky balance to strike.
How can you target millennials?
With millennial eyes and ears comprising 36% of the home buyers market this year, it's important to know how to talk to them.
What tools can you use to attract millennials to your brokerage?
Technology
This one's a bit of a no-brainer. Millennials have grown up with perpetually evolving technology trends, and they want to see companies that can adapt to this.
Technology can be a vague and sometimes scary term, but remember; the wheel was once considered cutting-edge technology. Keeping up with technology trends can help you stay ahead of the curve, and gives you the opportunity to make an informed decision about what could work for your brokerage.
Accessibility
You have your office's hours posted on your website, but that doesn't necessarily mean that millennials want to drive to your office to talk to you. This generation doesn't like to sit around and wait for conversations; they expect quick responses to things like emails, text messages, and even direct messages on social media.
Using a tool like TransactionDesk can help your brokerage keep up with this fast-paced generation by handling the entire transaction process remotely without losing any of the legality or formality.
Personality
Millennials love to use smartphones and computers for just about anything, but that doesn't mean they want to talk to smartphones and computers. They see this technology as a bridge to another human, and they expect to see that personal touch on the other end.
Social media is the perfect place for you to put a personal touch on your brokerage's message. The audience is massive (with almost 2 billion users per day between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), the platforms are free, and the general tone is more informal than, say, your website.
This doesn't mean you have to put #hashtags and emojis in every message—but doing something as simple as signing a direct message on social media with your name gives you the opportunity to build relationships with potentially frequent customers.
With a better understanding of how to speak to your audience, you'll have better luck attracting them to your brokerage—and that means good things for your bottom line.
Need a way to break some of the assumptions millennials have about real estate? Check out these general social media tips!
